Circles
by Discordence
Summary: Asher takes the time to ponder what happened on the roof with Summer. He wants to win for once, but every time he tries, he fails and the universe punishes him greatly. Nothing changes. (Takes place after s2e10 "Total Eclipse of the Heart")


**Disclaimer:** **I don't own School of Rock. Also, please be aware of the end note. It'll clear some things about this up.**

* * *

 _Tonight, it's like I'm noticing the sky for the first time...y'know what I mean?_

He did.

Asher didn't really understand what had happened between him and Summer. Before, he didn't mean much to her, and in the next second, he did. He meant the world.

She was always his world.

It was hard enough keeping it to himself. They were merely friends, two people holding crucial roles in the student council. Two people trying to build stable momentum for their futures. Two people who never expected the night to turn out the way it did.

Asher knew Summer wanted to rule the world; he believed she could.

She was already someone who could do everything: intelligent, bold, graceful, firm. Summer, the Student Council President. Summer, the captain of the speed debate team. Summer, the star that could describe galaxies for eons. Summer, the girl Asher thought he couldn't have.

Tonight was different.

He wasn't much of a prize. He felt lucky enough to keep an average of As and Bs in his courses, he was the dutiful secretary of the student council, and he was someone who melted into a sea of people, abandoned and forgotten. It was worse on the days he was absent, as they were so abundant that his family considered taking him out of school and homeschooling him for his health.

He couldn't leave Summer. He couldn't put himself through that kind of pain, nevertheless the pain he felt each time his body froze in time and gravity forced him to the ground.

 _I can't breathe._

It was hitting him now. Asher placed a hand on his chest and tightly clenched his shirt. He felt himself choking, suffocating, crying. He wanted to be good enough for the one person he loved. He wanted to have Summer love him back, but he couldn't compete with anyone. He knew she liked Freddy, and it hurt. He pulled his feelings in and kept them there, fighting with himself over not being good enough for the one person he wanted to be with.

Fate is a very crazy force now. Fate brought them together on the roof. When the sky became clear for Summer, Asher was there next to her. It was him. He didn't understand why, but he liked that. He thought he finally won, but it wasn't all that certain.

Asher may have won, but he still felt like he lost. He was falling apart and he was a fool. He would always be a fool.

* * *

 **From: (512) 395-4434**

 **Hey Asher.**

* * *

The text message pulled Asher back into reality. His phone glowed in the darkness of the classroom. His classmates were all piled around one another, sleeping against the moonlight. Laying on his side, Asher pulled his phone closer and away from anyone who would otherwise be blinded.

* * *

 **To: (512) 395-4434**

 **Who is this? How did you get my number?**

* * *

 **From: (512) 395-4434**

 **It's Summer. Zack gave me your number. I wanted to talk to you but since it was lights out for everyone, I figured I would text you instead.**

* * *

His heart skipped a beat and for once, it was a good thing. Summer still wanted to talk to him after the time they spent on the roof. Asher wasted no time in saving Summer's number as if it was the last time he'd be able to speak to her. He was still worth her time. He liked that.

* * *

 **To: Summer**

 **Oh. Hi. What do you want to talk about?**

* * *

 **From: Summer**

 **Our conversation on the school roof. I wanna explain myself.**

* * *

 **To: Summer**

 **Okay. Go ahead.**

* * *

Time passed by, and before Asher knew it midnight would come in at least fifteen minutes. He was worried that Summer fell asleep on him, that she was going to forget about him again. He feared that she was going to take back what she said and instead say it meant nothing. He was afraid he'd lose again. He was afraid of not being good enough for her. He would never be good enough for her.

And then his phone glowed.

* * *

 **From: Summer**

 **When I said that it was the first time I noticed the sky and all the stars, I meant that it was the first time everything became so clear. I had gotten over Freddy since he was with Kale and I was going to be with someone who was worth my time and would be there when everything became clear.**

 **You.**

 **I saw the stars and I saw the outlines of the houses and trees nearby and then I saw you. You were there next to me, you were there. Maybe it was a little sudden, but I believed it. You were always doing so much for others for the longest time, and you did a lot for me that I really couldn't do justice in returning a favor. It was not until this year that you finally started doing things for yourself, and I was so proud of you for that. We've been on the student council together for years and seeing you succeed made me feel so proud of you. Seeing you smile made me so happy.**

 **When I began to crush on Freddy, I never noticed you. You were slipping away into the crowd of people I saw every day, and the only time I saw you was when you would talk with Tomika sometimes. Loving Freddy blinded me. I was killing myself over him and it wasn't until now that I found out you were slowly killing yourself too, in more ways than one. But I need to you listen to me. Read this closely, okay?**

 **Asher, you're beautiful.**

 **You may not believe me, but you are. To me, you went from something to nothing...and then you became everything. You became my everything. I don't care that you aren't male model material like Freddy or that you don't get ridiculously high As in your classes like Zack or Lawrence. I don't care about that. You are attractive, kind, quirky, and intelligent. You have a big heart of gold. I hate that this same heart betrays your body, and on the days you weren't at school because of it, I always worried about you. I couldn't stand to think about you leaving like that. I just couldn't. Everyone it passed my mind, I had to run away and cry in solitude. You can ask Tomika.**

 **You are a galaxy, Asher. You are made of stars and nebulae that make you shine brightly. You are amazing, and you are loved. I should've understood it, but I didn't and I'm sorry. It's you, it will always be you, Asher~**

* * *

Asher felt himself becoming numb. His body was falling apart from exhaustion. He couldn't understand how he felt. Summer Hathaway poured her heart out to him the same way he always wanted to, even with the difference in communication. He could only say one thing.

* * *

 **To: Summer**

 **I love you.**

* * *

The door to his classroom creaked a bit before it made a closing noise. Footsteps pitter-pattered across the wooden floor before he felt arms encircle his stomach. He could feel the side of someone's head against his upper back. His arm went behind him and as his hand combed through the person's hair and rested on their back, he smiled. He turned onto his back and pulled her in closer, allowing her head to rest against his chest. Asher stroked her back gently and listened to her breathe. His smile grew wider and he felt his cheeks become flushed. He relaxed a bit and checked his phone one last time before falling asleep.

It was the message he always wanted to see. He won. He finally won.

* * *

 **From: Summer**

 **I love you too.**

* * *

 _I love you too._ It meant everything. He was everything, and he loved it.

* * *

 **A/N: I wrote this as more of a venting piece. I don't care if I'm sent hate by Fremmer shippers, I don't care if you tell me not to use Asher as a main focal point in my future SoR stories since a lot of the fandom doesn't like him just because he "ruined the real chance Fremmer had". I love Asher, I love his concept, and I much prefer Summer/Asher than Summer/Freddy. I didn't mean for it to sound rude, but it's how I feel. I'm not trying to bash Fremmer, but it's just not my thing. I'm sorry, but it's really not.**

 **The reason I wrote this is because I've been dealing with a lot of depression since at least June of last year. While I can't say I've been diagnosed or anything, I've been sure as hell fighting something like it. I've had to deal with heartbreak and bullying and it just exploded. I'm physically fine, but I mentally fell apart and writing this little thing about Asher made me feel a bit better. I'm going to use him more in any kind of venting piece I end up doing. I'm sorry for the negative note here, but I felt like I had to explain this fic for existing. I'm sorry for dropping that on you guys, and I'm sorry for disappointing anyone reading this and happened to ship Fremmer. I may not like the ship for a number of reasons (like, two big reasons), but I respect it. I really do respect Fremmer and will accept it if it becomes canon by/in the series finale. I just hope you respect this back. Thank you.**


End file.
